Miami Heat: Why LeBron Haters Look Foolish

LeBron James is one of the most hated players in the NBA, and most (if not all) of the hate has a foundation made from mud. James has given little reason to receive the kind of criticism that he has. 

James is an honorable man and an outstanding basketball player. He is what all young men should aspire to be, especially on the court. 

Here are reasons why the "LeBron Haters" look downright silly. 

He Didn't Stab Cleveland in the Back

Cleveland Cavaliers fans will tell you that LeBron James stabbed them in the back when he left the team in questionable fashion. 

James carried the team on his back for seven seasons and received no help in his quest to bring a title to Cleveland. 

Between 1994 and 2005, the team did not make it past the first round of the playoffs and they didn't even qualify for the playoffs between '99 and '05. 

Once James got going, he led the Cavs to the playoffs five times in a row, including five Eastern Conference semifinals appearances, two Eastern Conference finals appearances and one showing in the NBA Finals. 

After James left town the Cavs went back to their old ways of being underachievers and not qualifying for the playoffs. He was the team. 

Cleveland fans are still angry about the championship honors that James promised when he was a kid straight out of high school, but James is just one man and cannot beat five guys by himself. 

If I had a nickel for every promise fulfilled by a child coming out of high school, I might end up with a penny. 

The best the Cavs did to help out James was signing an aging, ineffective Shaquille O'Neal in 2009. 

LeBron haters need to realize that he did what was best for his career. He was not content to sit in a dead-end job, just as no one else is willing to do when better options present themselves. 

James had more dedication to the Cavs than any other player during his tenure there, but sometimes it's just time to move on. 

"The Decision" Wasn't Egotistical

Haters cling to the mantra that LeBron James is an egomaniac, and much of that is based on "The Decision," a special aired by ESPN that held the announcement of James' new team. 

He was the most coveted free agent in modern NBA history, so heavily publicizing his decision on which team he would join must have been an ego-satiating journey, right?

Wrong. 

If you think "The Decision" was just a tool to feed James' ego then go and tell that to the Boys and Girls Club of America. 

The special generated $6 million in advertising revenue and $2.5 million of that went to the Boys and Girls Club. 

To say that "The Decision" held purely selfish goals for James is cynicism at it's worst. 

What have you done for the future of America's children lately?

James Isn't a Ball Hog

Critics will tell you that LeBron James wants all the glory for himself. "He wants all the points," they say. 

Ask Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller what they think about that statement. 

James is more than willing—no, eager—to spread the ball around. 

In the 2012 NBA Finals James averaged 28.6 points and 7.4 assists per game. 

His counterpart, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaged 30.6 points and 2.2 assists. 

James can and will take the team on his shoulders when he needs to and rack up some points, but to call him a ball hog is far from the truth. 

James Is Loyal

Haters will say that LeBron has no loyalties, and much of that criticism stems from the Cavaliers' fan base. 

As a man myself, I don't gauge another man's loyalty by his commitment to his job. I gauge his loyalty to that of his woman. 

LeBron James has been with the same girl since high school. He hasn't married her yet, but he finally proposed to Savannah Brinson this past New Year's Eve. 

The couple have two children together, and quite honestly, Brinson looks like she has had two children (not criticism, just a biological fact).

James could take the route of most sports superstars and marry some random, foreign super model while paying child support, but he has chosen to marry the mother of his two children and to raise them properly.

Now that is a real man. That is a loyal man. 

James might have only one NBA ring, but he's about to have only one ring on his other hand, and that will be all he needs. 

If you want to criticize LeBron for his "loyalties," I challenge you to be the same man that he is first. 

James Is the Best Player the NBA and World Can Offer

James is a three-time NBA MVP, and he recently added Finals MVP to that resume, along with a ring. 

He is the best total player in the NBA and likely the world. 

He has won an NBA championship as well as a gold medal in the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing. 

There is no one better on the court than James.